Being from the south western part of the midlands myself, Ive always been intrigued by the north/south divide in England. It always seemed that notherners didnt like the cockneys or vise versa. Weve seen (the Mrs and I) football games and fans of teams like Newcastle, Man Utd, Liverpool Chelsea and Arsenal would be chanting about cockneys and southerners and northeners and etc. But I dont think it isnt all sports either. it isnt as though this thing has just appeared overnight, much has been made in the 80's and 90's of a divide between the 2 parts of the country particulary because of major employment issues in the two areas which has been a political football for parties.
Quite obviously fellow posters come from all over the UK and there doesnt seem to be a great load of tension between us??
Now that weve all flown the nest is there still that kind of rivalry or now that were here in the US or where ever else we are does it really matter?
Did it really matter to you in the first place??
Ive worked around the London/Reading area and when I think of an example of a typical cockney (not just a Londoner but you know with that greater London cockneyish accent) I think of certain people who are brash and have a certain amount of arrogance and cockiness but with friendliness, but quite obviously this doesnt speak for all people from around there. Ive worked up at Crewe, Manchester, Liverpool and York and Ive just found the few people up there who Ive come in contact with to be really down to earth yet friendly on the whole and just great people to be with, but I got to say that some areas were really run down.
Obviously This is only my own personal experience and I could be doing people a great injustice by saying that.
How do you regard northerners and southerners?
Does it actually mean anything to you now in the states?
Does it actually mean anything to you now in the states?
Naah mate, over here we have to stick together. It's not like I gave a f*** about that stuff when I was back in the UK anyhoo.
No, I never cared. I like everyone. However, if anyone did feel anything, it would be less so having moved to a new country. I think we all feel more of a pull towards our fellow countrymen when we're away from where we grew up....that's natural and comforting.
Same here - couldn't care less. Tho back in Blighty I lived in South Wales for awhile and most people I knew hated any English north or south. Come to think of it alot of them hated everyone who wasn't Celtic. Which is odd cuz the only people who have given me grief here are some Irish-Americans - I was eating at an "Irish" place and they were having a sort of pub quiz. The first question was about when the IRA first got going or something similar. After a whole bunch of questions on how ace the IRA are there were some footy questions. I knew that Ray Houghton scored in Italy and the people at the next table asked where I was from. I told them Peterborough originally, but moved around alot. You'd think I'd just admitted to knobbing the guys wife behind his back.
Same here - couldn't care less. Tho back in Blighty I lived in South Wales for awhile and most people I knew hated any English north or south. Come to think of it alot of them hated everyone who wasn't Celtic. Which is odd cuz the only people who have given me grief here are some Irish-Americans - I was eating at an "Irish" place and they were having a sort of pub quiz. The first question was about when the IRA first got going or something similar. After a whole bunch of questions on how ace the IRA are there were some footy questions. I knew that Ray Houghton scored in Italy and the people at the next table asked where I was from. I told them Peterborough originally, but moved around alot. You'd think I'd just admitted to knobbing the guys wife behind his back.
I have an Irish friend here and when she has too many beers (if that's possible) she has a dig or two about IRA and being a Brit.
She always goes to IRA sympathiser pubs in the north when she visits Ireland.
I couldn't give a t*ss either way about north south divides. I think it's an outdated idea that media like to try drag up now and then.
The biggest divide now would probably be only in payscales and housing, rather than education and job skills.
My wife spent most of her time visiting England - before we met - up in Grimsby and Liverpool, so whenever she puts on a British accent I call her a "bloody Northerner" in my worst Accrington accent.
I would say the northerners have more reason to hate the southerners than vice versa, due to the relative affluence of the southern half of the country.
I lived in Bavaria for a while where there is a Texas-style independence about the place, and they complain about the "Sau-Preissn", or "bloody Prussians" meaning anyone from Germany outside of Bavaria, or north of the "Weisswurstgrenze", the white sausage border (they only eat that stuff in Bavaria).
I also lived in Switzerland where the main divide is east-west at the "Röstigrabe", the divide between Franco-Swiss and German-Swiss. The name is given by the potato pancake stuff eaten by the German-Swiss people.
Of course there is a north-south divide here in the US too but not as significant any more, since Bush came into power the main divide seems to be political and not geographical.
North south divide usually comes down to accents and jobs? Funny though in london, cabbies won't be seen dead south of the river. Don't go south of the river guv D
My wife spent most of her time visiting England - before we met - up in Grimsby
:o
:lol:
/call her a codhead
My wife spent most of her time visiting England - before we met - up in Grimsby and Liverpool, so whenever she puts on a British accent I call her a "bloody Northerner" in my worst Accrington accent.
Well, this may be surprising to those in Grimsby but it is now the northern outpost of London if research by the University of Sheffield is to be believed and you have to cross the humber before you leave the south!
Ive worked around the London/Reading area and when I think of an example of a typical cockney (not just a Londoner but you know with that greater London cockneyish accent) I think of certain people who are brash and have a certain amount of arrogance and cockiness but with friendliness,
How do you regard northerners and southerners?
Does it actually mean anything to you now in the states?
I was acccused of being as you say " cocky and arrogant * when i lived in london and i didnt really care from wense you came , am still accused of that now and i care even less about heritage now than i did then, so i guess its part of ones charactor and not where you live ...